Structure, such as tank roof



Dec. 18, 1934. E. R. SCHAEFFE R 7 STRUCTURE, SUCH AS TANK ROOF Filed Oct. 3, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l ,INVENTOR '4 I BY ATTm 2 Shets-Sheet 2 E, R. SCHAEFFER Filed Oct. 3, 1930 STRUCTURE, SUCH AS TANK ROOF TTORNEYS.

: :IPLIQEyiI'OR Dec. 18, 1934.

Patented Dec. 18,1934 I i I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE; 1.9841551- I s'raucrmiar soon as TANKBOOF 1 Elmer B. Schaeifer, New'Yoi-k, N. Y., assignor to The Philip Carey Manufacturing Companma corporation Ohio Application October 3, 1930, Serial No. 486,097 14 Claims. (01. 220-1 My invention relates to structures, such as ported on the flange 2' and secured thereto by tank roofs, and more particularly to metalroofs suitable means such as the rivets 5. for oil storage tanks. In order to prevent the escape of vapor through Ordinary metal roofs are practically nevergas' leaks around the rivets and at the plate laps, 5 tight, there being leaks around the rivet heads I preferably cover the portions of the roof where 5 and at plate laps which result' in large losses such leaks. are likely to occur with a suitable of the stored fuel. Ordinary paint containing a paint. Before applying this paint, the roof or drying oil does not stop these leaks as the 011 the portions thereof to which it is applied, are does 'not' become completely dry in the presence preferably thoroughly? cleaned. A suitable paint, of petroleum vapors. In places where it does dry, and the one which I prefer to use, is disclosed in 10 it begins to scale in a short time when exposed my application Ser. No; 473,771 filed August 7,

to such vaporsifthey contain sulphur compounds. 1930 and entitled Improvements in protecting In order to keep down the temperature of the composition for materials and process of making vapor in tanks for the storage of hydrocarbons, and applying same. If desired, this paint'may the roofs of these tanks are sometimescovered be applied to theentire upper surface of the 15 with heat insulating materials. Such materials roof 4. contain asphalt, which is also softened by the In applying the paint, a drying oil such as corn hydrocarbon vapors. Difficulty has also been 'en- -oil may be treated with sulphur at a high temv countered in securely fastening the insulation in perature orwith sulphur chloride and the resultplaceon such roofs. ing product applied while it is hot. The oil will 20 One of the objects of my invention is to profill all or the crevices where vapor leaks are apt vide an improved roof which is free from gas to appear and will soon become viscous and rubleaks, and eflectively insulated against the heat berlike. An application of sulphur chloride is and P c ed against the weather. now made, preferably with a spray, whereupon "Another object of the invention is to provide the rubberlike material-will become gummy'but 25 improved means for securing the insulation in will not harden and crack at low temperatures. place. The melting point of the resulting gummy mateh r j c f t es nd van ages will rial is several hundred degrees above temperapp r m r fully in h foll wing detailed detures which have been recordedon the tops of Scriptien d the a pe d d claims. such tanks. This paint thus ailords. an eflec- 30 Th ac p ying drawings for ing a pa f tive seal against the escape of the hydrocarbon this specification illustrate an oil tank containing vapors. One embodiment of the invention The painted roof 4 is now covered with a layer In the drawin F 1 is a top P n Vi w f 6 of a flexible roofing material. This' material t e t nk w t 'p the covering material may also be designed to a considerable degree to for the roof removed so a to S successive be impervious to the vapors m the tank. It may lavers'epplied the comprise the usual flexible roofing formed of Fig- 2 i a fragmentary V l cross Seetien asbestos felt or paper impregnated with bitumi- 0f t e f nous composition such as asphalt or coal tar. This.

40 Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the root with the flexible roofing covers the entire roof 4. It may 40 uppermost layers of roofing material removed to be securedzto the roof 4 by first mopping the roof illustrate more clearly the means employed for in spots with hot asphalt and applying the roofing securing the heat insulating material in place. material before the asphalt has cooled.

' Figs-4 and 5 are respectively fragmentary plan Covering the roofing 6 is a layer of suitable heat 4 and perspective views illustrating details or coninsulating material 7, either arigid boardlike ma- 5 struction. terial or a heavy felted, flexible material may be Reigning t t drawings, th t h s th used. This material extends over the entire'cen- ,usual cylindrical steel shell or side wall'i around tral portion f th r i p ph y b ing arthe 'upper rim of which an angle iron 2 is secured ranged a short distance inwardly of the c'ylinas by rivets 3. The ankle iron is arranged with drical wall 1. It may be secured'to the roofing one of its flanges 2' horizontal. The conical roof 4 material 6 by covering the latter withhot asphalt of the tank, as shown, is formed of a number oi: and applying the heatrinsulating material 7 before sheet metal plates overlapped and riveted tothe asphalthas cooled. g gether as shown in Fig. 1, the roof being sup- To hold the insulation material inplace andto'oo prevent the same from breaking loose from the roof, suitable fastening means are employed. As

shown (Fig. 3) the fastening means consist of a plurality of intersecting pairs of wires -10 and 11-11 which extend across the roof and bear down upon the insulation 7. These wires are secured to the roof at spaced points around the periphery thereof.v As shown, each pair of wires 10-10 and 11-11 has connecting end portions forming therewith a loop, the loop being secured to the roof by means of hooks 12, the outer portions of which engage over the flashing 8 while the inner hook-shaped portions engage about the wires. The same hooks also hold in .place an endless wire 14 extending peripherally around the tank. To'place the various wires under tension, I connect the intersections of each two wires 10 and 11 with a free intermediate portion of the peripheral wire 14 by tensioned wire loops 15. By drawing tight on the wires forming loops 15 and then twisting the ends thereof so as to hold them 'in position, the wires 10, 11 and 14 are moved from the dot and dash position shown in Fig. 3, where the wires 10-10 and 11-11 are parallel, to the solid line position shown in that figure, whereupon all of the wires are held under tension and firmly bear upon the insulation '7 and retain the same in position.

I now apply above the insulation 7 and the wires referred to another layer of flexible roofing material similar to the material 6; this layer being also secured in position as-by applying hot asphalt to the insulation '7 and placing the roofing material 16 thereon before the asphalt cools.

' The flashing at the upper peripheral edge of'the tank is, as shown, composed of a number of metallic, hooklike members 8, the outer portions being arched above the rivets 5 and hooked over the flange 2'. To secure the members 8 in position, any suitable means may be employed. As shown, a wire 9 extends under the rear hook-shaped portions of the flashing members. By tensioning this wire and securing the ends thereof together, as by knotting (Fig. 4), while the wire is under tension, the flashing members may be effectively held in place.

The whole roof is preferably capped with" a layer 1'7 of asbestos felt impregnated with bituminous composition such as asphalt and surfaced with a heat reflecting material such as finely divided aluminum. The layer 1'7 may be cemented to the layer 16 as by hot asphalt. The layers 16 and 17 extend over the flashing 8 to the outer edge of the roof 5 and the flange 2', the flashing affording a smooth surface above the rivets 5 to which the edge portion of the layer 16 may be cemented, as by hot asphalt.

While I have described the preferred form of my invention, it is understood that modifications within the scope of the appended claims may be made without departing from the spirit of the specification.

I claim:

1. A structure having a convex roof, a protecting covering for said roof,'and securing means for said covering including a plurality of flexible holding members under tension'extending across the roof to hold said covering against'the same.

2. A structure having a convex roof,- a protecting covering for said roof, securing means for said covering including a plurality of intersecting flexible holding members arranged above the roof to hold said covering against the same, and

meansapplied to the intersections of said members for holding the same under tension by maining pairs of flexible holding members arranged above the roof to hold said covering against the same, and means applied to the intersections of said members for holding the same under tension by maintaining 'said intersections drawn in a downward direction toward a point on the periphery of said roof.

4. A structure having a convex roof, a protective covering for said roof, and securing means for said covering including a plurality of intersecting elongated flexible holding members extending across the roof, an elongated holding member arranged adjacent the edge of the roof, and means connected to said last-named member and the intersections of said first named members for holding said members under tension, said intersecting holding members and said holding member adjacent the edge of the roof overlying,

said covering.

5. A structure having a conical roof, a protective covering forsaid roof and securing means for said covering including a plurality of wires extending across the roof between diiferent points in the periphery thereof, a wire arranged adjacent the periphery of the roof, and means connected to said peripheral wire and said first named wires for holding the wires under tension, said peripheral wire and said wires extending across the roof overlying said protective covering.

6. A structure having a side wall, a flange projecting from the upper edge portion of the side wall, a roof, means for securing the roof to said flange, a rigid flashing covering said securing 1 means, and protective roofing material having its edge portion extending over said flashing, said flashing being made up of a plurality-of preformed sections.

7. A structure having a side wall, a flange projecting from the upper edge portion of the side wall, a roof, means for securing the roof to said flange, a rigid flashing arched over said securing means, and roofing material having its edge portion extending over said flashing, said flashing being made up of a plurality of preformedsections linked together'by flexible connecting means adapted to maintain said flashing members in position over said securing means.

8. A structure having a side wall, a flange projecting from the upper edge portion of the side wall, a roof, means for securing the roof to said flange, a plurality of flashing members arranged over said securing means, a flexible tension member connecting said flashing members to hold the same in place, and protective roofing material having its edge portion extending over said flashing members.

esson 10. A structure having a side wall and a roof, a flange projecting from the upper edge portion of said side wall, a roof, means for securing said roof to said flange, a plurality of preformed metallic flashing members covering said securing means, hooks attached to said flashing members} and tension means. applied to said hooksoi d flashing members for maintaining fl memhers in position, said tension means r rest.

12. ;A structure having a conical'rooi. a prdtec tive covering for said roof, and securing means for said'coveringincluding a plurality of pairs of intersecting flexible lines overlying said covering between spaced points adjacent the periphery thereof, fastening means for said lines at said spaced points adiacent the periphery of said roof,

a line extended about the periphery of said roof substantially overlying said covering and maintained in position by said fastening m and tensioning means applied at intersections 01- said iines and at points in saidrperipheral wire intermedial said fastening means adap to -1:

tain said intersecting and said peripheral wire drawn to one another at said points where said tensiening means is applied thereto thereby .u :11 peripheral wire under tension.

13. A structure having a convex roof, a protective cove for said roof, and securing means for said cov including a plurality of intersecting lines over said covering between diftalent spaced points in the periphery thereof, fastening means at said spaced points for said lines, a iine extended about the periphery of said overlyingsaid eovering,ies points for mainta said ripheral wir position and means for tensio mid intersecting wires and said peripheral wire applied to the, intersections of said intersecting wires and points intermediate the sec me for erai wire.

M. A structure with a side we and a convw roof, a u ge projecting from the upper-e portion of said side wall, m for saidroof to said he, a plurality of preformed has members covering said securing-means, ten-- sion m applied to said 5 maintaining the same in position, acoverina for said roof, a flexible holding member overlying said covering acent the periphery thereof and maintained in position by means cooperating between said flashing and said holding members and a second covering for said roof overlying said holding member and said taming said intersecting wires and" 

